James Holmes pleads not guilty by reason of insanity, prosecutors wanting to prove that he methodically carried out a deadly Colorado movie theater shooting have a difficult task before them: They must prove he is sane.

James Holmes brilliant? Not according to his Salk Institute supervisor John Jacobson: “His grades were mediocre. I’ve heard him described as brilliant. This is extremely inaccurate.”[July 23, 2012 by desertrose]

Unlike other states where the defense needs to prove insanity, prosecutors in Colorado are the ones who have to show that a defendant is sane - all without the ability of having their own experts examine Holmes.

"It's burden of proof on steroids," said Marcellus McRae, a former federal prosecutor now in private trial attorney in Los Angeles. "It's totally subjective. It's not like proving somebody pulled the trigger. That's objective."

Whether he pleads guilty by reason of insanity, the case against Holmes promises to focus on his mental health. Read more;